Specialists On The Payroll

Malkeet Padda, PhD is another horticultural specialist who works as a postharvest research scientist with Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc. “I provide research leadership in handling and storage technologies,” he explains. “My primary focus is todevelop scientific and technical knowledge that can be applied in different geographies,” he notes, for use in “developing new packaging and handling procedures, including cold chain optimization.”

There are also those who create the precision tools, measuring devices, and other analytical equipment found in academic or laboratory settings that are now being used in the private sector. Andrea Melnychenko, an application specialist for Felix Instruments, worked with University of California, Davis postharvest specialists to develop portable tools like the F-900 Portable Ethylene Analyzer and the F-750 Produce Quality Meter.

“The primary market for these devices is commercial produce handlers, packers, and shippers,” Melnychenko explains. “The F-900 measures ethylene gas in very low levels; our users transport it from location to location to use as an inspection tool, or leave it in one place to measure ethylene fluctuations. The F-750 measures the internal qualities of fruit nondestructively; its primary use is as a harvest aid, to help predict when to harvest for peak quality and storability.”

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES
When a retailer hires a dietitian, it can be seen as a commitment to healthier products, while grower-shippers employing plant breeders or postharvest specialists open the door to a number of possibilities. Plant breeders can help develop better-tasting fruit or vegetable varieties, pest- or disease resistant seeds, or cultivars with longer shelf life. Postharvest technologists can educate growers, wholesalers, and retailers about harvesting techniques and provide cooling or packaging recommendations, which also impact flavor, freshness, and food safety.

Chuck Curl, sales operations manager for RPE Inc., applauds the use of specialists: “Employees from outside the industry bring a new perspective.” This can range from simple (suggestions on how to accomplish tasks more efficiently) to complex (creating better-tasting vegetables or value-added combinations to appeal to a broader customer base). Bussan and Copas fall into both categories. The two scientists “share experiences and implement new ideas and management concepts with RPE’s growers across the country,” Bussan says, but more importantly, he notes, “the analytical possibilities are exciting, and to participate in maximizing the value of on-farm data was more than I could pass up.”

Jill Overdorf has a similar enthusiasm for her job in business and culinary development for Coosemans L.A. Shipping, an importer/exporter of tropical and exotic fruits and vegetables. Trained as a chef, she “was hired initially as a consulting specialist to help teach the sales team and customer base about specialty produce,” she recalls. Since then her role has evolved to include “travel, representing our company to a national customer base, educating end-users, identifying culinary and flavor trends, providing in-house training for our sales team, and managing all of our marketing and outreach.”